The President’s Corner

Hello Rotaract and Friends! The Holidays are upon us. Hopefully you have finished up your shopping. If not, feel free to add me to your list. I would be happy to send you my Amazon wish list…

This is a busy week for Rotaractors: On December 3rd, we volunteered alongside the Downtown Rotaract at the Holiday Festival at the Prime Osbourne Center, this Tuesday we have a Board Meeting, Thursday we have a Membership Meeting, and Saturday is the annual Holiday Party.

Be sure to join us on Thursday at River City Brewing at 6:15 PM for the only Membership Meeting in December. We will be joined by Marshall Butler, Rotary District 6970 Governor. Come early for Happy Hour and socialization. Dinner afterwards will be at Indochine in San Marco.
-Tony B

Membership Spotlight

Take a moment to learn more about one of our members: Katie Pollari

Katie Pollari – currently serves as our Club Secretary.

Education:
B.S. Marketing, Florida State University

Occupation/Title/Company:
Proposal Writer, Pontoon Solutions

What does your job entail?
In a nutshell, my company manages Fortune 500 companies’ HR needs. Companies outsource their staffing and recruitment processes to us to save time and money. As a proposal writer, I collaborate with the sales team and various other teams within Pontoon to respond to bids sent out by potential clients. They ask a bunch of questions and I answer them!

What do you do for fun? What are your hobbies?
I usually end up near the beach in my free time – suntanning, drinking, or going to church – three things you probably wouldn’t expect to be in the same sentence! I also enjoy practicing yoga (which used to be on the beach, but my instructor/friend moved away).

If you weren’t currently in your occupation, what would you be doing (your dream job)?
The dream job question is always a tough one because I have many interests and dislike the idea of being pinned down in one place. I get a bit of entrepreneurial spirit from my parents, so owning my own business has always been a dream/goal of mine. Not sure what type of business I would like to own, but when I find out, I’m sure y’all will know about it!

Why did you join Rotaract?
t’s tough making friends in Jacksonville! I also needed a reason to stay here (other than my job), so giving back to the community was a perfect way to do so.

What is your favorite Rotaract memory?
Though I’ve known y’all for less than a year, I’ve made some awesome friendships in such a short amount of time. I LOVED the HabiJax event. Not only was it my first event, it was also FLURRYING outside, so I can’t forget it. I’m hoping we do it again this year and if it’s cold, this FL girl will be better prepared!

What is your current goal or ambition?
There’s so many, where to start! A constant goal is: learn how to “adult” better.

Your alter ego name: self-given or given by others. Or best nickname?
I have many nicknames so it depends on who you ask. Top 3: KP, Kit Kat, and Spiffy Kiffy (a nickname my father made for me when I was younger – don’t ask what it means because frankly, I don’t know)🙂

Community Service

We had a great time volunteer with Downtown Rotaract at the Senior Citizen Holiday Festival. I never worked as a server, but I have new respect for those that do. If you could not make it to this event, please make every effort to attend the January service event (and each there after). Our club is based on networking AND service.

We typically work with Habitat for Humanity in January. More information to follow as details are finalized.

Social

-Save the date: Rotaract Holiday Party – December 10th Starting at 5PM.

This member’s only (with a plus 1) event will feature food, fun, and a gift exchange. Please RSVP with Jordan Hollis. Wicked Barley Brewery is just down the road and may be an excellent way to end the celebration…

The President’s Corner

November 21, 2016

Thanksgiving is upon us – mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and turkey. If you’re like me, then this time of year means travel to spend time with family. Stay safe and enjoy the time off!

Due to the holidays, the November 24th and December 22nd membership meetings are cancelled. However, please join us on December 8th to get your Rotaract fix. We will be joined by Marshall Butler, Rotary District 6970 Governor.

-Tony

Member Spotlight

Take a moment to learn more about one of our members: Sara Corrigan

Sara Brown – I mean Corrigan – currently serves as our President Elect. She is recently married, and decided that wedding planning didn’t stress her out. So, she is also planning the Black Tie Blue Jeans Gala!

Education:
Flagler College, Communication with an emphasis in media production

Occupation/Title/Company:
Marketing Assistant / Far East Brokers

What does your job entail?
I work for Far East Brokers where my actual title is “marketing assistant” but I do more business related tasks than marketing. The company’s main focus is supplying grocery stores throughout the United States, primarily east coast, with nonperishable goods. Those cheesy Valentine bags you see at Publix? You’re welcome!

What do you do for fun? What are your hobbies?
I run during my lunch hour at work. I wouldn’t call that fun but I’m slowly getting to that point where I can trick myself into thinking it is. My hobbies are learning to cook and do puzzles while listening to audio books (I’m super cool).

If you weren’t currently in your occupation, what would you be doing (your dream job)?
My dream job would entail some sort of event planning wrapped up with video editing. I get a kick out of a well-organized spreadsheet (ask anyone who has seen the galaspreadsheets) and I love editing footage. In high school, I took a TV production class which led me to pursue media production. What I learned in this class is that creating a final story requires you to think ahead and literally draw out your ideas so you can later translate it while filming and then while editing. I actually still have some of these storyboards and have a binder full of them from college that I never fully filmed.

Why did you join Rotaract?
I joined Rotaract because I wanted to fall back in love with Jacksonville. After college, my friends either stayed in St.Augustine or moved far away. I needed to find friends that would show me that Jacksonville is more than just the beach bars.

What is your favorite Rotaract memory?
I have always said that my favorite Rotaract memory isn’t an event, but a feeling. I can’t pinpoint one thing and call it my favorite but I know that whenever I go to RotaractI have this feeling of happiness mixed with humbleness. It’s a good feeling to be surrounded by friends that are working to make Jacksonville a better place.

What is your current goal or ambition?
To have the best gala ever. April 22. Everyone be there. Buy your tickets and sell them to your parents. Thanks!

Your alter ego name: self-given or given by others. Or best nickname?
Before I was married, my initials were SB which a lot of people called me and some still do. But the best nickname I ever got was Spring Break ’09. I was interning for the Cannes Film Festival in 2009 and made good friends with the chefs (life tip- always make friends with the cooks in whatever line of work you’re in because free food will probably follow). The chefs started calling me Spring Break ’09 because of my initials and it stuck for the whole internship.

Community Service

Stay tuned for updates!

Social

-Save the date: Rotaract Holiday Party – December 10th Time TBD

This member’s only (with a plus 1) event will feature food, fun, and a gift exchange.

Good morning and happy Monday! After such a hot weekend, I can honestly say I am fine with being at my desk in the air conditioning…

The new Rotary year in underway and I am happy to report that the new Board is firing on all cylinders. Below you will find the names of the new Board Members. If you have any questions, comments or ideas, please reach out to me or the appropriate Board member.

If you were lucky enough to attend the recent YP Expo at Aloft Hotel, then you know that Jacksonville is brimming with talent and opportunities serve, lead, and expand your network – three things Rotaract strives to enable for our members. If I was lucky enough to have met you at the expo, please come join us this Thursday at River City Brewing for or first July meeting. The social hour starts at 5:15 before we move upstairs to begin the meeting.

This week we will be hearing from Stephanie Mack Kearney, Down Syndrome Association of Jacksonville Board President. The DSAJ is a non-profit organization committed to helping people with Down syndrome achieve their full potential and to helping create a community that is educated, supportive, and inclusive of individuals with Down syndrome.

-Tony Brazell

Community Service

Saturday, July 9th
Last Saturday, Rotaract prepared dinner for ~50 children and parents at the Ronald McDonald House. The crew of eight set out a fabulous taco bar with sides and cookies.

Stay tuned for upcoming service events!

Social

Save the Date for July 16th
Save the date for a Brunch at the Beach day! Blind Rabbit Brunch at noon then hanging out at the beach.
We can swim. Play volleyball. Stay in the shade under canopies. Making reservations so don’t forget to RSVP!Save the Date for August 5th – 7th
Our club will be heading to New Smyrna Beach for our annual Hail & Farewell. This is a members only (plus significant others) event. Total hotel cost is estimated between $35-$70. More details will follow. If you are not yet a member, attend two meetings and a service event to join!

The President’s Corner

June 20, 2016

This week on Thursday, June 23rd will be our last meeting of the Rotary Year! (Don’t worry, the new year starts on July 1 and the following meeting will be Thursday, July 14th). At this meeting, we will have a guest speaker, present the Scot Amos Rotaractor of the Year award & have a passing of the gavel to the incoming President Tony Brazell. You won’t want to miss it!

Our guest speaker will be Mike Santarone, the President & COO of Stellar. He will speak about guiding your own career along with some other beneficial topics.

Thank you to all of those Rotaractors & guests that came to our social this past Saturday in St. Augustine! Much thanks to our social chair Tatty Chavez for organizing a great event!

One year from now in Atlanta will be the 2017 Rotary International Convention.
This is the annual convention of Rotary and an estimate of 22,500 – 45,000 people are expected to attend. Next year will also be the 100th year anniversary of Rotary. Click below to watch the video!
There is special pricing for Rotaractors – it’s $70 to attend RI Convention then the price goes up. If you would like to attend Rotaract Pre-Convention it is an additional $126.50.

As this is my last e-blast for the Monday Morning Rotaractor, I want to thank you all for such a great Rotaract Year. I have had an enormous amount of fun and learned a great deal. I especially want to thank the members of the board that made my job easier by going above and beyond expectations. You have impressed me & inspired me and you along with the members are what make our club thrive & the experiences of our club so great.

Have a great week!– Jen Suharmadji

First Coast Rotaract meets the 2nd & 4th Thursday of each month at River City Brewing Company. Join us for networking & socializing at 5:30pm, followed by our meeting at 6:15pm. Guests are always welcome at our meetings, service, and social events.
Follow us onFacebook, or Look for ourMeet Upevents!

Community Service

Save the Date: Saturday, July 9th
Our next service event will be at Ronald McDonald house. It will entail preparing a meal for 40 at the Ronald McDonald house. It is a late afternoon, early evening time. Sign up on the facebook page!

For our July service event, we will be preparing a meal for the families staying at the Ronald McDonlad House. The event is on Saturday, July 9. The meal preparation begins at 3:00 p.m. and dinner is served at 5:00 p.m. Parking for volunteers is available on site at the front building or the side, under the parking garage area.

Only 8 people are allowed to participate. Everyone who participates is subject to a background check. The Ronald McDonald House is a family environment. Volunteers need to dress conservatively. Shorts should be fingertip length and sleeveless shirts may not be worn in the kitchen. Shoes must be closed-toe.

After preparing the meal in the kitchen, all pots & pans and work surfaces shou…ld be cleaned up before we leave. All dishes must be run through the dishwasher. Serving the food in plastic containers or disposable pans is very helpful & reduces after dinner cleanup as well. They always appreciate it if volunteer groups bring large plastic disposable containers for storing leftovers.

Social

Save the Date for July 16th

Save the date for a Brunch at the Beach day! Blind Rabbit Brunch at noon then hanging out at the beach.
We can swim. Play volleyball. Stay in the shade under canopies. Making reservations so don’t forget to RSVP!

Save the Date for August 5th – 7th

Our club will be heading to New Smyrna Beach for our annual Hail & Farewell. This is a members only (plus significant others) event. Total hotel cost is estimated between $35-$70. More details will follow. If you are not yet a member, attend two meetings and a service event to join!

The President’s Corner

June 13, 2016

Greetings! Thank you to all of those Rotaractors that came to last week’s meeting! I heard it was a good meeting of input for the next Rotaract Year & an overview of pre-planning for the upcoming 2017 Black Tie & Blue Jeans Gala!!!!!!

This past Saturday was also our monthly service event. The club served at PRI’s Dream Day for Dreams Come True. Thanks to all of those that came out & thanks to Katie Lanahan for bringing the club the opportunity to serve at this event!

This weekend myself along with 6 other Rotaractors & Rotarians from our district, District 6970, attended a YP Summit in Atlanta.

This Saturday is our social in St. Augustine! Next week our meeting is the last of the Rotary year. It’ll be a special meeting where we ‘pass the gavel’ & also present the Scot Amos Rotaract of the Year Award!

Have a great week!– Jen Suharmadji

First Coast Rotaract meets the 2nd & 4th Thursday of each month at River City Brewing Company. Join us for networking & socializing at 5:30pm, followed by our meeting at 6:15pm. Guests are always welcome at our meetings, service, and social events.
Follow us onFacebook, or Look for ourMeet Upevents!

Community Service

Save the Date: Saturday, July 9th
Our next service event will be at Ronald McDonald house. It will entail preparing a meal for 40 at the Ronald McDonald house. It is a late afternoon, early evening time. Sign up on the facebook page!

For our July service event, we will be preparing a meal for the families staying at the Ronald McDonlad House. The event is on Saturday, July 9. The meal preparation begins at 3:00 p.m. and dinner is served at 5:00 p.m. Parking for volunteers is available on site at the front building or the side, under the parking garage area.

Only 8 people are allowed to participate. Everyone who participates is subject to a background check. The Ronald McDonald House is a family environment. Volunteers need to dress conservatively. Shorts should be fingertip length and sleeveless shirts may not be worn in the kitchen. Shoes must be closed-toe.

After preparing the meal in the kitchen, all pots & pans and work surfaces shou…ld be cleaned up before we leave. All dishes must be run through the dishwasher. Serving the food in plastic containers or disposable pans is very helpful & reduces after dinner cleanup as well. They always appreciate it if volunteer groups bring large plastic disposable containers for storing leftovers.

Social

This Saturday, June 18th

We will be headed to St. Augustine for our June social. We will be touring the Ice Plant, the winery and a chocolate factory. Total cost is $8. We will meet in St. Augustine at 11am for The San Sebastian Winery, 1pm for Whetstone Chocolate, and 2pm the Ice Plant. As always, guests are welcome to our social and service events..

Save the Date for July 16th

Save the date for a Brunch at the Beach day! Blind Rabbit Brunch at noon then hanging out at the beach.
We can swim. Play volleyball. Stay in the shade under canopies. Making reservations so don’t forget to RSVP!

Save the Date for August 5th – 7th

Our club will be heading to New Smyrna Beach for our annual Hail & Farewell. This is a members only (plus significant others) event. Total hotel cost is estimated between $35-$70. More details will follow. If you are not yet a member, attend two meetings and a service event to join!

The President’s Corner

Greetings! Thank you to all of those Rotaractors that came to South Jax Rotary’s event at the Alhambra last week Wednesday.

We have a membership meeting this week on Thursday. It’s our second to last meeting of the Rotary year!
We have both our social & service event still to occur this month, see details below!

Fundraiser for Bottle School Project – June 16th
Beaches Rotaract is hosting a fundraiser with funds going to Hug It Forward & the Bottle School Project. We heard about this project back in March from the Daytona State Rotaract President. We donated to the project as a club, but this is another way we can also support this project. The event is on Thursday, June 16th from 5:30-7 at Table 1 in Ponte Vedra. It’s a wine tasting with small bites. It’s $25 with $20 of that twenty-five going towards the project. You can purchase tickets through eventbrite on their facebook event page.

Have a great week!– Jen Suharmadji

First Coast Rotaract meets the 2nd & 4th Thursday of each month at River City Brewing Company. Join us for networking & socializing at 5:30pm, followed by our meeting at 6:15pm. Guests are always welcome at our meetings, service, and social events.
Follow us onFacebook, or Look for ourMeet Upevents!

Community Service

Save the Date: Saturday, June 11th
Our June service event is Dreams Come True, an event put on by PRI Productions. The event is on Saturday, June 11, 2016. We will be doing the second shift where we will be helping out with game stations, food, and other activities.

All volunteers need to sign up. I went ahead and reserved 10 spots for our group. So the first ten members to comment in this post that they are interested will be given those spots. If you have indicated you will be present and are one of the ten to have said so, please email Andrea(andrea@dreamscometrue.org) and let her know you are with First Coast Rotaract and give her your shirt size. Andrea will email you a volunteer application which MUST be completed prior to the event.

We will be headed to St. Augustine for our June social. We will be touring the Ice Plant, the winery and a chocolate factory. Total cost is $8. We will meet in St. Augustine at 11am for The San Sebastian Winery, 1pm for Whetstone Chocolate, and 2pm the Ice Plant. LET TATTY KNOW ASAP AS SHE WILL UPDATE THE RESERVATION ON WEDNESDAY THIS WEEK. As always, guests are welcome to our social and service events..

Save the Date for August 5th – 7th

Our club will be heading to New Smyrna Beach for our annual Hail & Farewell. This is a members only (plus significant others) event. Total hotel cost is estimated between $35-$70. More details will follow. If you are not yet a member, attend two meetings and a service event to join!

The President’s Corner

Hope you had a great Memorial Day Weekend! Much thanks to Christopher Register, Director of Rowing at Stanton Riverbank Rowing (SRB Rowing), for being our guest speaker at our last meeting.

At this meeting, Tony Brazell, the 2016-2017 incoming President, announced the new board for 2016-2017.
Congratulations to the incoming board:

If you didn’t make the board this year, remember there will be many opportunities to contribute to our club and to participate in a leadership role for the upcoming gala. Our board meetings are also open to any of our members to contribute ideas for our club.

This weekend we also had our Monthly service event. We volunteered at Daniel’s Kids. Thanks to all of those that came out !

Rotary Charity Event at Alhambra – June 1st Members, if you are interested in attending Rotary’s annual fundraiser at the Alhambra on Wednesday, June 1st ~ they have extra comp tickets for us Rotaractors. Please email jaxrotaract@gmail.com & we’ll get you in touch with the right people. Social is 6pm, Dinner is 7pm, and Show is at 8pm. PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND.

Fundraiser for Bottle School Project – June 16th
Beaches Rotaract is hosting a fundraiser with funds going to Hug It Forward & the Bottle School Project. We heard about this project back in March from the Daytona State Rotaract President. We donated to the project as a club, but this is another way we can also support this project. The event is on Thursday, June 16th from 5:30-7 at Table 1 in Ponte Vedra. It’s a wine tasting with small bites. It’s $25 with $20 of that twenty-five going towards the project. You can purchase tickets through eventbrite on their facebook event page.

Have a great week!– Jen Suharmadji

First Coast Rotaract meets the 2nd & 4th Thursday of each month at River City Brewing Company. Join us for networking & socializing at 5:30pm, followed by our meeting at 6:15pm. Guests are always welcome at our meetings, service, and social events.
Follow us onFacebook, or Look for ourMeet Upevents!

Community Service

Save the Date: Saturday, June 11th
Our June service event is Dreams Come True, an event put on by PRI Productions. The event is on Saturday, June 11, 2016. We will be doing the second shift where we will be helping out with game stations, food, and other activities.

All volunteers need to sign up. I went ahead and reserved 10 spots for our group. So the first ten members to comment in this post that they are interested will be given those spots. If you have indicated you will be present and are one of the ten to have said so, please email Andrea(andrea@dreamscometrue.org) and let her know you are with First Coast Rotaract and give her your shirt size. Andrea will email you a volunteer application which MUST be completed prior to the event.

Social

Save the Date for Saturday, June 18th

We will be headed to St. Augustine for our June social. We will be touring the Ice Plant, the winery and a chocolate factory. Total cost is $8. We will meet in St. Augustine at 11am for The San Sebastian Winery, 1pm for Whetstone Chocolate, and 2pm the Ice Plant. LET TATTY KNOW BY THIS FRIDAY IF YOU WILL ATTEND SO SHE CAN MAKE A RESERVATION AT THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY.

Save the Date for August 5th – 7th

Our club will be heading to New Smyrna Beach for our annual Hail & Farewell. This is a members only (plus significant others) event. Total hotel cost is estimated between $35-$70. More details will follow. If you are not yet a member, attend two meetings and a service event to join!